Name: How To Make Somen Salad (Easy Summer Noodle Salad Recipe)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 150 g Cucumber; 150 g Thinly Sliced Beef Rib Eye; 150 g Cherry Tomatoes; 1 Egg; 2 bundles Somen Noodles; 50 ml Soy Sauce (for the dressing); 50 ml Mirin (for the dressing); ⅛ tsp Sesame Oil (for the dressing); 15 grams Ginger, peeled & grated (for the dressing); Ground Sesame Seeds, for garnish (optional); Shichimi, for garnish (optional)

How To Make Somen Salad (Easy Summer Noodle Salad Recipe)

Customizable Easy Fusion Food Main dish Noodle Salad Summer

Somen salad is a delicious and light Japanese fusion dish that's perfect for a hot day. The star of this salad is somen noodles, which are super thin, white wheat noodles. These noodles cook really quickly, and once they're done, they're rinsed under cold water to cool them off and make them nice and firm.

What makes somen salad special is its fresh and crunchy veggies. You’ll often find ingredients like sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced bell peppers mixed in. These veggies add a great crunch and vibrant color to the salad. If you want to mix things up, you can also add cherry tomatoes, radishes, or feel free to add any veggies you love!

For some protein, you can toss in cooked meats, tofu, or shrimp. These proteins are usually cooked separately before being added to the salad. They add a nice boost of flavor and make the salad more filling.

The dressing for somen salad is key to its great taste. It’s usually made with soy sauce, mirin, and a bit of sesame oil. This gives the salad a perfect combination with the noodles. Some recipes might also include extras like garlic, ginger, or sugar to add even more depth to the dressing.

Somen salad is best served cold, which makes it a fantastic option for hot weather. You can garnish it with sesame seeds and fresh herbs like cilantro or green onions for an extra touch of flavor and a burst of color. It’s a versatile dish that works well as a side or a light main course and goes great with other Japanese dishes like sushi or tempura.

Somen salad is all about fresh, light ingredients and a flavorful dressing. It’s an easy and tasty choice for a quick meal or a summer gathering!

Overview

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Total servings: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

150 g Cucumber
150 g Thinly Sliced Beef Rib Eye
150 g Cherry Tomatoes
1 Egg
2 bundles Somen Noodles
50 ml Soy Sauce (for the dressing)
50 ml Mirin (for the dressing)
⅛ tsp Sesame Oil (for the dressing)
15 grams Ginger, peeled & grated (for the dressing)
Ground Sesame Seeds, for garnish (optional)
Shichimi, for garnish (optional)

Expert's Tip

P-1-IBON-SMNNDL-300-Ibonoito Handmade Japanese Somen Noodles 300g.jpg

Somen noodles are versatile noodles that you can enjoy hot or cold, which is why they’re a staple in Japanese cuisine. Ibonoito Handmade Japanese Somen Noodles is one of the most popular somen noodles brands in Japan, and they work perfectly in this recipe!

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients together.

squeezing excess water out of the cucumbers

cutting the cherry tomatoes into small pieces

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2) Preparing the Vegetables

Thinly slice the cucumber. Sprinkle a bit of salt over the cucumber. Rub the salt into the cucumber by hand. After 5 minutes, tightly squeeze the cucumber to remove the water. Set aside.

Cut the tomatoes into small dice.

Grate the ginger.

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3) Blanching the Thinly Sliced Beef & Boiling the Egg

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. When it boils, dip the beef in briefly to cook it. Place a paper towel underneath to absorb the moisture. Set aside.

Next, boil the egg for 9 to 10 minutes. Peel the shell and set aside.

boiling the mirin to evaporate some of the alcohol

mixing everything together to emulsify the dressing

pouring the grated ginger into the dressing

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4) Making the Somen Salad Dressing

Add mirin to a small pot. Heat it until it boils.

Once some of the alcohol has evaporated, add soy sauce and dashi powder. Mix well.

Turn off the heat, then add sesame oil. Mix it and set aside in the refrigerator.

Once chilled, add in the grated ginger and mix well.

rinsing the somen noodles under cold water

placing the drained somen noodles on a plate

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5) Cooking the Somen Noodles

Cook the somen noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse the cooked somen noodles with cold water and ice. Set aside.

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6) Assembling the Somen Salad

Arrange the somen salad with the prepared toppings and dressing.

7) Serving the Somen Salad

Sprinkle ground sesame seeds for more flavor or shichimi for a bit of kick, if you desire. Pour the dressing over the somen salad and enjoy!

About the author

Mana Sobral

Mana is a mother of two who is currently based in Toronto, Canada. While she has called Toronto her home for the past 7 years, she is originally from Wakayama. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and gained practical experience working as a dietician in Japan. She is absolutely obsessed with sharing her love for Japanese cuisine. She loves the seasonality of vegetables in Japan and the creativity of plating dishes. She loves writing Japanese recipes and sharing them with people around the world. She prefers to keep her writing style simple and fun, so that everyone, including people who are not particularly keen on reading, can enjoy her articles. In her free time, she loves baking desserts and Japanese breads. She also enjoys participating in Muay Thai classes.

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